Party wall services in Surrey for adjoining owners
Have you received a party wall notice from your neighbour? Are you worried about what to do next or not really sure what a party wall notice is? Don’t worry. As an adjoining owner, we can help protect your rights under the Party Wall Act and help you carry out the appropriate next steps.
- Ensure Your Neighbour's Works Are Compliant
- Free Party Wall Surveyor Quote
- Impartial Advice Across Surrey
- Fees Paid By Your Neighbour
What we can do for you
We’ve helped hundreds of adjoining homeowners across Surrey affected by party wall works – and with professionals like us on your side, you can’t go wrong. Our service for adjoining owners will give you access to impartial, expert advice and ensure your neighbour safeguards your property and investment with meticulous and up-to-standard Schedules of Condition and Party Sall Awards (agreements).
When handled incorrectly, a Party Wall is often a source of dispute.
The Party Wall Act protects a property owner’s rights by outlining specific rules and processes for construction and renovations concerning properties that share a wall or boundary (as seen in terraced and semi-detached homes).
These shared walls between two properties are referred to as Party Walls, and when one side plans to make renovations or changes to the property that affect the shared boundary, a Party Wall Notice must be served.
To fully protect their property and investments, owners and builders should dissuade from free Party Wall templates and seek services from a surveyor like ourselves, who ensures full compliance on both sides. Recipients of a Party Wall Notice should also seek surveyor services to understand their options and how to respond legally.
The Party Wall Act of 1996 establishes a framework to prevent and resolve disputes related to building work on shared walls, boundary walls, and excavations near neighbouring buildings. It ensures that property owners legally notify and obtain agreements from adjoining owners before a construction project begins. The Agreement or Award establishes both the rights and responsibilities of each owner, outlining matters like maintenance, repairs, alterations and any other issues that might arise.
- New building on or at the boundary of two properties
- Work to an existing party wall or structure
- Excavation within 3 to 6 meters of a neighbouring property (depending on the depth of the work)
- We will notify the building owner of the damage immediately.
- We’ll conduct a surveyor assessment of the damage and determine if it’s due to the works.
- The building owner is responsible for repairing the damage, so we will collect compensation.
- We’ll manage and handle any disputes, but if there’s a disagreement, the Party Wall Act will determine the exact process for resolving them.
Typically, the building owner pays for the surveyor’s fees, and in the majority of circumstances, the owner undertaking the work covers the fees for the party wall surveyors. This is usually because the adjoining owner is an innocent bystander who would not have needed to go through this process if it were not for the neighbour. However, costs can be shared if both parties agree to a joint surveyor.
Suppose your neighbour has begun construction without a Party Wall Agreement (Award). In that case, you can apply to the County Court to obtain an injunction to stop works from going ahead until the process outlined in the Act has been correctly followed.
The courts frown upon owners who intentionally ignore the Party Wall Act, and if no notices had been served in the relevant time, you are likely to be granted your injunction.
However, your first step should be to inform the neighbour that you believe their works are notifiable under the Act, and they should serve you with notice, as it might be the case they did not know about the legislation. If talking to your neighbour about this issue makes you uncomfortable, then a party wall surveyor, like us, can send a letter advising them of their obligations.
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- Mediating Disagreements
- Interest of All Parties Protected
- Neighbour Dispute Management
- Condition Reports & Building Surveys
It’s 100% recommended to serve a Party Wall Notice. Consult with our qualified surveyors and to determine whether any planned construction on a neighbouring wall or property requires an agreement.
Failing to obtain the necessary agreements often leads to disputes and legal issues with your neighbours that can result in delays and additional costs before you even get started.
When should my neighbour serve me with a party wall notice?
If your neighbour is carrying out any of the works listed in the tables below, they should serve you with a Party Wall Notice before the works begin.
Notifiable works relating to party structures:
| Section of Act | Notifiable Work | Notice Period |
|---|---|---|
| Section 2(a) | Underpin, thicken, or raise a party wall. For example, to underpin or raise a parapet wall. | 2 Months |
| Section 2(b) | Where a wall is defective, carry out repairs, or demolish and rebuild it. | 2 Months |
| Section 2(e) | Demolish a party wall that is not sufficiently strong, or high enough, for the intended new building or extension. | 2 Months |
| Section 2(f) | Cut into a party wall for any purpose, including inserting a damp proof course or steel beam. | 2 Months |
| Section 2(g) | To cut away projections from a wall that overhang your land, such as removing a chimney breast. | 2 Months |
| Section 2(h) | Cut away projections over your land to the extent necessary to erect a wall. | 2 Months |
| Section 2(j) | To cut into the wall of an adjoining property, which is not a shared wall, in order to insert a flashing. | 2 Months |
| Section 2(n) | To expose a section of a party wall or structure that was previously enclosed. | 2 Months |
Notifiable works covered by the Act when building new walls on the line of junction with another property:
| Section of Act | Notifiable Work | Notice Period |
|---|---|---|
| Section 1(2) | To construct a new wall on the boundary line with another property, which is partly on both owners’ lands. | 1 Month |
| Section 1(5) | To construct a new wall on the boundary line with another property, which is wholly on your own land. | 1 Month |
Where excavation works are notifiable under the Party Wall Act:
| Section of Act | Notifiable Work | Notice Period |
|---|---|---|
| Section 6(1) | To excavate within 3m of an adjoining property or structure and to a deeper depth than its foundations. | 1 Month |
| Section 6(2) | To excavate within 6m of an adjoining property or structure and to a depth that would intersect with a 45-degree line drawn downwards from the bottom of its foundations. Typically, this only applies to piled foundations. | 1 Month |
